This afternoon I had a late lunch at the Jackson area's first sushi restaurant, and I think it's safe to say a) it was worth the wait, and b) yum!

jayreatard.blogspot.comTrue fact: The best photo to illustrate what basic sushi looks like on the whole Internet can be found on garage-punk musician Jay Reatard's personal blog.

Aka Sushi opened yesterday next door to Starbucks and Quiznos in part of the former Bob Evans building at 1801 N. West Ave., Blackman Township.

Now, I'm far from a sushi expert. I certainly don't have a grasp of what sets "good" sushi apart from "OK" sushi. I've probably only had it a dozen times. I've yet to have a bad experience, and Aka Sushi was no exception. The decor was sleek and clean. The service was friendly and prompt. The food was tasty and, yes, raw.

A few other reporters who went on opening night gave good reviews, too, rating it "an A or A-."

Learning this establishment was actually opening its doors — after having my hopes raised and dashed once before — was the most momentous piece of news I've gotten since I discovered Justin Vernon from Bon Iver's dad is allegedly from here.

Jackson, you've just scored some serious cool points.

Seriously, do you guys know how good we have it? When I lived in Port Huron, I had to drive for more than an hour to get anything other than those bland rolls from the Meijer deli case. Once I moved here, I was excited about the prospect of being able to get sushi with a comparatively short drive to Lansing or Ann Arbor. A restaurant within a five minute drive of my house was beyond my wildest expectations.

It was encouraging to see I wasn't the only one who was excited about the prospect of Japanese cuisine in Jackson. Even though it was well past the normal lunch hour, the parking lot was fairly crowded. Inside, I saw a businessman who seemed to know a thing or two about sushi complimenting the manager, a man trying his first lobster roll, a woman who stopped in just to see what this raw fish business was all about, and a young teenage girl teaching her friend how to hold chopsticks.

I hope the enthusiasm keeps up, and not just for the sake of Aka Sushi. Having this restaurant be a success would, I think, be encouraging to other establishments and maybe bring some much-needed diversity to dining here.

Like I said, I'm no expert, but here are a few pointers if you've never been to a sushi restaurant:

Upon entering, you're going to be given a paper menu and a pen to fill out your order. There's a lot on it, and it uses some unfamiliar terms, so don't get overwhelmed.

"Sushi" refers to the sticky rice that is combined with other ingredient, including raw fish, in this type of cuisine.

As far as beginners are concerned, there are two basic varieties of sushi. Nigiri is sliced fish served on a mound of sushi rice, ordered a la carte. Maki are cylinders made by rolling rice, fish, vegetables and other ingredients inside sheets of nori (dried, pressed seaweed). These rolls are then sliced into five to eight pieces.

Just to give you an idea of pricing, you can expect to pay about $2 to $4 a piece for nigiri and $5 to $13 a roll for maki. It's best to go with friends and share.

In addition to the sushi pieces, your plate will come with a small pile of green paste. Do not eat the pile on its own unless you love horseradish or you're trying to clear out your sinuses. It's wasabi, and it's meant to be mixed in small amounts with soy sauce for dipping. There are small saucers on your table for doing just that.

The pile of flesh-colored stuff next to the wasabi is gari — sliced, pickled ginger. It's there to clean your palate and help with digestion.

The only utensils on your table will be chopsticks. If your meal comes with soup, you're supposed to pick it up and drink straight from the bowl. I don't know for sure, but most restaurants have forks on hand if you really can't deal with the chopsticks.

You don't have to eat any raw fish — the restaurant serves cooked Asian dishes, too — but you should give it a shot anyway. Some people can't deal with the texture of the fish, but it's worth ordering a piece of nigiri just to say you tried. I swear, it's not going to kill you.

If you're feeling less adventurous, California rolls (nori rolled with rice, imitation crab meat, avocado and cucumber) are a popular and relatively safe place to start.

Now, what's it going to take to get a Middle Eastern restaurant around here? I needs my shawarma.